Research has shown that teachers would prefer to receive ethical gifts, like goats, sheep and chickens, that you can give through the charities to someone in the developing world, on someone else's behalf.

The charities now produce a wide range of gifts that are just perfect for teachers such as a school desk and chairs, textbooks and school uniforms. All the gifts can be ordered quickly and easily online. A card if then sent direct to your teacher, or to you to give to your teacher, along with a personal message telling them what has been given on their behalf. Christian Aid even now do an education gift pack which includes a school uniform, school shoes and a teacher’s salary.

The specific gifts for teachers include (links to the gifts for teachers after every title):

Part of improving education in Senegal this gift is a real page-turner! School textbooks are a fundamental part of education. Many schools in Senegal lack basic resources like these to help pupils learn. Through UNICEF you can give 300 books at a time, which shows how far your gift for your teacher can go.

If you haven't got a lot of money to buy your gift for your teacher, for just £9 you can provide a whole school with pencils. The most basic items can make such a difference to children's lives. Your gift will equip a school with 1,000 HB pencils - that's less than 1p per pencil. You will enable more children to enjoy writing and drawing.

Part of Adet Public Library, Ethiopia and brilliant for bookworms. Provide a book and chair for a library in Adet, Ethiopia. This will help secondary school pupils learn and will be a focal point for the community to learn about HIV prevention and dangers of substance abuse.

Look smart and buy a school uniform. Many children in Zambia have lost their parents to AIDS, which often means they can’t afford an education. Without a school uniform, they can't go to school, buying one through World Vision will improve their prospects. You can also provide a school uniform through Christian Aid and their partner the Thandanani Children’s Foundation.

Part of a drop in Centre for working children in Cambodia, this gift will provide lessons for five working children for one month at World Vision's drop-in centre in Battambang City, Cambodia. Children are encouraged through formal learning and play activities to progress towards attending school or vocational training.

Part of an education project in Zimbabwe you can equip classrooms in Hurungwe, by choosing a desk, so children don’t need to sit on the floor. This will allow them concentrate and write much easier, which will improve their achievement at school and their overall education. You can also give a school desk and chair through Oxfam.

Part of Improving Education in Senegal Some children in Mbella are missing out on an education because they don't have dinner before the long walk home. Your gift will provide school dinners for three children for a year, encouraging their parents to send them to school.

Many children dream of being a computer whiz – and kids in the developing world are no exception. If your teacher is a bit of a computer emthusiast then Christian Aid partner AMO-Congo is helping children orphaned by AIDS turn those dreams into reality. A gift like this could help children gain the skills they need to find work and put a roof over their heads.

Part of a programme for orphans and vulnerable children in Ghana you can make a truly life-changing difference with this gift. Children who have lost their parents to AIDS often miss out on an education, but this scholarship will pay for school supplies and healthcare, allowing a child to go back to school.

In Daringbadi, India, teachers often have very large classes and there is a lack of trained teachers, resulting in low literacy levels. This gift through World Vision will help train teachers and improve their teaching, meaning children will receive a better education. You can also provide a monthly salary for a teacher through Christian Aid.

If your class wants to give your teacher a really special gift, then why not build a whole classroom? This can either be UNICEF's innovative 'School-in-a-Box', which involves helping UNICEF set up a temporary school for at least 80 children during times of emergency, or one of the more permanent variety!

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